Just got back from Turkey, where there are a lot of fakes. I mean serious amounts of branded goods, piled high for sale at knock down prices. Right now 'Diesel' is massive as is 'Von Dutch', amongst lots of other high street names familiar to most of us. Someone told me there are no copyright laws in Turkey and that figures as the tourist streets are like dodgy UK car boot sales without the threat of lurking Trading Standards officers - they proudly advertise 'genuine fakes'. Just goes to show how bonkers us Brits go for 'labels'...
In the spirit of free appropriation so prevalent there I came across lots of these adapted Jolly Roger motifs, it was surprising at first to see this outlaw brand claimed by officialdom. But the skull and it's accompanying lighting bolt 'crossbones' set into concrete quickly became ubiquitous as almost every telegraph pole carried one. And very effectively they conveyed their message too, whether or not you know what 'Ulum Tehlikesi' means.
The red stenciled version illustrates another strand of interest I am looking into in relation to street signage - when signs go bad. I am seeing more and more degraded, worn out and poorly constructed signs that none the less manage to hold onto their meaning and continue to function despite being almost eligible. Some are practically subliminal and seem to permeate our consciousness without us even knowing.
In the spirit of free appropriation so prevalent there I came across lots of these adapted Jolly Roger motifs, it was surprising at first to see this outlaw brand claimed by officialdom. But the skull and it's accompanying lighting bolt 'crossbones' set into concrete quickly became ubiquitous as almost every telegraph pole carried one. And very effectively they conveyed their message too, whether or not you know what 'Ulum Tehlikesi' means.
The red stenciled version illustrates another strand of interest I am looking into in relation to street signage - when signs go bad. I am seeing more and more degraded, worn out and poorly constructed signs that none the less manage to hold onto their meaning and continue to function despite being almost eligible. Some are practically subliminal and seem to permeate our consciousness without us even knowing.
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